homecoming

September 23rd, 2013 by Jan

My bag is packed and I’m ready to go.

I’m going back to Dodge tomorrow morning. It was just a year ago that I was there visiting my dad when he got sick, and since then I’ve been back to my hometown at least a half a dozen times.

I’m looking forward to eating green chile enchiladas and tacos, attending the church of the holy sunrise at lookout point, walking and walking, seeing my old friends Kimmie and Mike again and the Aspen trees change to autumn gold. I do love the environment of New Mexico.

My brother Art moved in with my dad last spring, and by doing so, Ken and I are not moving to Dodge like we thought we might do earlier this year. And BTW, we are happy to stay in Canada and grateful Art stepped up. Still, every body needs a break, so while I am there, Art will take some time off and go to Las Vegas for some R & R. I imagine dad and I will drive up to Angel Fire and visit my brother Bill and his wife Carol. I’m hoping Carol will bake a pie for me. She makes the best cream pies ever! I don’t know if I will see my other brother Ty or not. I’ll also be chief cook and bottle washer while I’m there.

The other reason I’m heading out is so I can attend my 40th high school reunion. Yup, it has been 40 years since the class of ‘73 graduated! I will say 30 of those years have been fantastic for me.

Our class had something like 360 kids in it. Most of them, like me, spent all of their first 18 years in Los Alamos. I’ll be curious as to how many come back (or never left). I am looking forward to this. Facebook has connected me to many and life changes have made it possible for me to participate with joy.

As I pack, I realize two things. One I can still fit into the same earrings I wore in high school, and that NOW I’m grateful I was fat in high school, so I can say that even though I’ve aged, I weigh the same as I did in 1973! Gravity has shifted the contents a bit, but today I am healthy, strong and comfortable in my own skin these days. Much more so than I was back then. I am grateful I am sober as well now, and will be able to enjoy the parties. I hope to branch out a bit and get to know some of my classmates that I didn’t hang around with much back then.

Our official class motto was, “On the whole I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” Class colours were glossy black and flat black. We didn’t not have a senior banquet, we donated the money to a Vietnam burn unit instead. I also know we chanted, “Marijuana, LSD – We’re the class of ‘73!” But I see on the schedule of events that there will be a golf tournament, a 5 km run, a tennis tournament and a dance. So I guess I’m not the only one who has changed over the last 40 years!

I’ll keep you posted.

2 thoughts on “homecoming

  1. heather

    Love the motto and utterly in awe of the class colors selection – that is so awesome! We were not near that creative when we were seniors.

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  2. Jan Post author

    I seem to remember the school principal saying something about how our class was ignorant and apathetic – we answered with, “We don’t know and we don’t care!”

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